Last year I got back into shooting and purchased a Glock 19 with fixed sights. This year I'm thinking about IDPA competition.
1. Is the G19 competitive enough or, will I want/need a G17/G34 in the near future?
2.What is the "average" cost to start and compete?
3. How much do you spend each time you shoot at a competition?

Ditto on the eye and ear protection. Six mags will be more than enough.

Take what ever you have and go to a match. See what others are using, ask questions, tell them you want to get into IDPA and you will get more helpful information than you can imagine. I would not be surprised if you went and somebody had a spare holster and mag carrier and loaned them to you for the match.

One more thing. Have an open mind. They may have been shooting for a while, and it may be intimadating to see how good some of these people are. But you can get there too, all it takes is to get started and have fun. Do not be one of those that thinks "I need to practice before I go out there". Bull***T! IDPA club matches are practice. I have been doing this for years and I wish I had started a lot earlier.

You probably won't need more than a hundred rounds for the entire match, but taking more, and leaving it in the car just in case you need it, won't hurt any. It's only expensive if you're playing a game rather than competing in the spirit of the rules.

Ditto on everything posted so far. I was a little leary of going to a match but took the plunge. I sent in my application the morning after the match. The folks that I shoot IDPA with are the nicest bunch of people you could ever want to meet. My second or third match I started having FTF/FTE problems with my .45ACP and a guy I'd been introduced to less than an hour before hands me a new box of PMC and says give it a try. Great sport, great folks, great fun.

Try it, you'll like it.

Stay safe.

__________________
Boy, you're about as useful as a Glock revolver.
TFL#12525

I agree with everthing posted but I would add one little piece of information. When you get ammo get good bulk ammo. Nothing is more frustrating than having ammo that doesn't work right. I have been very happy with Wolf and the $4.99 a box Blazer that Natchez is selling.

Also on mags you can compete with a minimum of 3 mags but the more you have the better it goes. You aren't constantly reloading mags.

be one of those that thinks "I need to practice before I go out there".

For some people this is entirely true. My wife loves the IDPA matches we ran in, but get's pretty high strung when the buzzer goes off (heck, I get amped too!). We've done 3 matches, and that helped identify many weak areas.

We are now practicing drills at a club range, which I believe will make the whole match experience much better. Neither of us has had any prior experience with moving and shooting, cover shooting, multiple targets..etc.

I think that getting together with a few people and practicing drills or COF's is a very good thing to do. It's also the only way I've found to track progress very well, as every time we go out we're shooting different COF's which do not lend themselves to being compared to others. So far my wife's figure-8 drill time has gone from 30seconds down to the high 12's. Took about 200rds of ammo, not bad.

As far as ammo, if you load your own it can be even cheaper. Of course we're both shooting .357 SSR class, and I've developed some loads that produce a bit over the power requirement cost about $5 per 100.

IMHO, IDPA and IDPA-style events are the cheapest semi-realistic practice around. At most ranges, these events give you a rare chance to shoot while walking forward or backward, practice your draw and fire, practice reloading, etc.

And you'll get tips from everybody if you ask. Pay attention to the folks that actually know how to shoot the course well.

We meet monthly at my range, and while the events are not officially sanctioned by IDPA, they are still challenging. Many times, there will be local LEOs in attendance, adding to one's desire to outshoot everybody, and the stress and pressure you feel in shooting the course with all eyes on you.

Before you go make sure your weapon is clean. Minimizes frustrations. Also study and review the safety rules. Always a good idea. You might go to the range and familiarize yourself with your holster and mag pouches - I actually cut my finger on a sharp edge on an unfamiliar brand new kydex holster. More on this later.

IDPA is a gas. The competitors are always friendly. The first few times out go slow and deliberately. Get familiar with the process. Relax. Have fun. Smile. Listen. Watch other competitors. See what they do right and wrong. Don't worry. You'll have plenty of time to work on that. Just have a good time.

Here’s a quote from the summary section which I think sums it up in a nutshell.” The main thing is to just TRY them! Don't be afraid because you have never shot competition before, because NOBODY CARES”

Everything that was said is good, I started shooting IDPA this summer and purchased a used G22, 2 extra magazines, and a holster and mag carrier along with a good belt. Total cost was less than $600 for the works. I would caution you on the Wolf ammo, I did have a major malfunction with the Glock when it stuck in the chamber and the extractor failed to pull it out. The pistol had to be dismantled and in the process I lost the buffer on the extractor spring which resulted in a vacation down in Georgia for the Glock. I saw the same thing happen with a friends Taurus PT92 with the 9mm wolf. I don't know if I would say that Wolf is junk, but I would be cautious with it as you don't want to experience a repeat of what happend to me. Walmart sells boxes of Winchester 9mm for about the same price as the Wolf and it is reloadable so I would definitely look into other sources, 9mm is pretty cheap from a number of places so I doubt you'll have trouble finding a good deal. Most of all have fun, it's a great sport.

__________________
I thoroughly disapprove of duels. I consider them unwise and I know they are dangerous. Also, sinful. If a man should challenge me, I would take him kindly and forgivingly by the hand and lead him to a quiet retired spot and kill him.
- Mark Twain

I, too , use my G19 in IDPA (and used to in IPSC.) And I don't feel under-equiped using my Uncle Mikes paddle and their double mag carriers. Since I only have 5 mags, after relegating 2 for carry I'm left with only three w/c so far is enough for IDPA.

To score good in this sport you do not need to be very fast. Remember, for every point you did not make translates to .5 secs added to your time. So take that time instead to get your A's and you'll still end up with the same score or even better.

I shoot my glock 19 in ESP Sharpshooter division. I did shoot SSP until the latest rule change on guide rods. You will see alot of Glocks in IDPA. I ditto the recomendation on Uncle Mike's Kydex holster and mag carriers. Inexpensive and tough. Save your High caps for carry and buy some 10 rounders for matches. If you shop you can find them for around $18.

For my two cents, I'd ditto all the good stuff posted here. Our club typically has 4-5 stages, less than 18 rounds per stage. Sometimes we have a side match, like bowling pins. The shooters are generally friendly and happy to help anyone with questions. I often shoot my G23 with a Blade Tech IWB and Mernickle double mag pouch, so your G19 is no problem whatsoever. Best wishes and have a good time.

__________________
John Northern CA
"Life brings sorrows and joys alike. It is what a man does with them - not what they do to him - that is the true test of his mettle." T. Roosevelt

I'm thinking about getting into IDPA. I was talking with one of my students about it after I noticed him wearing a Glock Shooting Sports shirt one night. I asked him if he was into shooting and he said he used to shoot IPSC and now shoots IDPA. For him it is a game. He doesn't have a CCW and doesn't carry the 17 or Kimber 1911. It would be the same for me. I would like to try it as a hobby/game. The only gun I have now that would work is a Dan Wesson with a 4" barrrel. (.357). I have been in the market for a new handgun and was considering a Hi-Power or CZ-75/85 Combat. After looking at several sites that posted scores of IDPA it seems that Glocks are the preferred pistol. Can someone explain why? Also which class would the CZ be in? It seems to be listed both in SSP and ESP classes on the website. I am not opposed to Glocks in any way, just curious why they would be so dominant. I did see a few people listed using CZ-85 that were winning. Winning is not that important, but I was just curious what the advantages/disadvantages were of various guns. Again, the gun would not be purchased for CCW, just target practice and IDPA.

Glock is a comfortable pistol, a reliable and accurate one, and most of all - it's popular. End of story.

I competed with a Sig 226, then moved down (or sideways, or whatever) to it's sister gun the TZ-99, and I've always been very competitive and won matches with it. Never once felt at any disadvantage against a Glock....they just weren't my pistol of choice.

__________________
Life is a big, black hole of sucking disappointment.

while poking around on the site and rules I found this in the faq section:

DO I ALWAYS HAVE TO DO EITHER A “TACTICAL RELOAD”, “RELOAD WITH RETENTION” OR RE-LOAD FROM SLIDE-LOCK? Yes, this is what actually happens on the street. No IPSC style speed re-loads (slide down with a round remaining in the chamber) are permitted in IDPA competition. If the CoF does not specify the type of reload, you may do any of the three.

ok, what exactly are they saying you can't do? I thought the Tactical reload was "slide down with a round remaining in the chamber" which they say you can't do...

This email link is to reach site administrators for assistance, if you cannot access TFL via other means. If you are a TFL member and can access TFL, please do not use this link; instead, use the forums (like Questions, Suggestions, and Tech Support) or PM an appropriate mod or admin.

If you are experiencing difficulties posting in the Buy/Sell/Trade subforums of TFL, please read the "sticky" announcement threads at the top of the applicable subforum. If you still feel you are qualified to post in those subforums, please contact "Shane Tuttle" (the mod for that portion of TFL) via Private Message for assistance.

This email contact address is not an "Ask the Firearms Expert" service. Such emails will be ignored. If you have a firearm related question, please register and post it on the forums.